Public Transport, Stuttgart

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For a city of its size Stuttgart has an excellent transport system, comprising of an underground, trams, regional trains, and buses. All of these operate under the auspices of the VVS, and you can switch between any of them with the same ticket. Tickets are available for short trips (Einzelfahrschein) to day tickets and longer. The best value of all for any tourist, though, is the StuttCard. These come in various forms, from ones including all areas of the city and discounts on attractions, to a basic transport only option covering the central areas only, but they all last for three days. For 8.40 the basic central version covers pretty much everything but Esslingen. You can buy these from the tourist office opposite the Hauptbahnhoff, at the bottom end of Konigstrasse.

All tickets must be validated before use. Although I never got stopped by anyone checking my tickets once, not validating your ticket carries a heavy fine. On the StuttCard, the rules regarding ticket validation are clearly written in English, so claiming ignorance as a tourist will not likely save you. The tickets are valid for three calendar days from the date that you first stamp them, rather than 76 hours. The first time you stamp it counts as a complete day, so if that is late at night, you will lose a lot of its value.

If you arrive late, then, you may want to just buy a single Einzelfahrschein until the next day. These can be purchased, along with longer tickets, from automatic machines dotted around the stations. These machines will automatically work out the cost of your ticket. Just type in the three digit code of the destination you want to reach, and hit the type of ticket you need (left hand side is adult, right hand side is children). The price will show on the screen, and you must enter the money to receive the ticket. It gives change. If you buy your ticket from one of the automatic machines, you can usually validate your ticket there and then at the same time.

If you want to know when you must go out of the house to come to the right time to the VT meeting look at this site: http://www.efa-bw.de/nvbw/en_index.htm
and look for your online timetable. But be careful and have a little bit time if you must change between differnet public transportations. Sometimes the public transport comes later and you can't get the other bus or train because to change you haven't enough time.
Try the website.

If you drive with public transport you should know about different ways to stop and drop out of the transport systems. In the S-Bahn the train stops at every station and you can open the door only when the train is standing. In the U-Bahn (Stra?enbahn) the train also stops at every station but you can oush the button before the station, then the light at the button is on and when the train is standing at the station the door will be open. But with the bus you must be faster than the bus driver. Sometimes they drives look like Michael Schuhmacher. :-) In the bus you must push the stop button before your station. If you don't push it the bus don't stop and you only can look how nice your station is and drive away. ;-) If people standing there the bus will stop. In the trains are displays for the next stop in the buses onmly sometimes, but the most have the display.
Have a nice trip.
(The picture is not good, I try to make a better one. On the Display you can see in red big letters the next stop, small red letters the stations after the next stop. On the top in green letters the terminal stop and on the right in green letters options to change to other lines at the next stop. Do you see the red buttons? - They you must push if you want to drop out at the next station.)

This is the once cable railway in Stuttgart.
The cabel railway arrives every 20 minutes from 09:00 until 17:50.
You find it at station Südheimer Platz, can get it with the U1 and U14 and a walk with maybe 3 minutes.

a map to find the way from U-Bahn station to the cable railway

For hikers:
hikers way

I live in Stuttgart and I don't own a car. This is how I use public transport...

1. Tickets:
Public transport in Stuttgart is expensive compared to other German cities. In return you get very clean and secure transportation service. Don't think about using the public transport without buying your ticket.

If you buy a single ticket, the time starts ticking when you buy it. (unlike other German cities). So you can't buy them in advance.
Tickets for one day are valid until the end of the shift (including night bus). In many cases, buying a day ticket or week ticket is better for you.

You are paying for the number of zones you are using. See http://www.vvs.de/download/Tarifzonenplan.pdf

To get a ticket, look for orange boxes. Some of them are touch screens: just use them. Some are not: At first glance, it seems that you have to type in the code for your destination. But you can also type in 002 for two zones.

2. Directions:
Use your smartphone. For the iPhone, there are two apps. Search for "SSB" and "VVS". My personal preference is the ssb app, but the vvs app is good, too. type in any address and it tells you how you get from where you are to this address (turn on location service). It also shows you on a map how you get to the station. Sometimes it proposes to walk (and shows you a map how to get there). If this is the case, do it. Stuttgart is nice to walk.

The vvs app is also available for android.

(This will work only if you have a data connection. Buy a cheap German prepaid data SIM card. There are many phone shops at the Königstraße, which you will visit anyways :-)

3. Both S-Bahn (Sign: green S) and the yellow U-Bahn (Sign: White U on blue ground) are underground in the center of the city and on the surface outside the center. The U-Bahn has air conditioning which is nice in the summer.

If you have time, try the rack railway called "Zacke" by the locals or "Zahnradbahn" in German. It starts from Marienplatz and proceeds to Degerloch.

Stuttgart even has a funicular railway ("Standseilbahn") that starts at Südheimer Platz. You can use both, Zahnradbahn and Seilbahn with your normal ticket.

4. Taxi. Taxi drivers have to use the taximeter in Stuttgart and they do. I am not aware of any taxi scam in Stuttgart. You will pay always almost the same price.

5. To get from the airport to the city and vice versa, you use the S-Bahn (S2 or S3). Pay 3 zones.

6. If you stay a little longer, consider visiting the old town of Esslingen, using the S1.

Have fun :-)

Stuttgart has a pretty good, but also expensive public transportation system. The S-Bahn (metro) system connects the greater Stuttgart area, trains run at least every 30 minutes. To save money you can by a Tageskarte (daily ticket), this ticket is valid on all tarif zones also in the busses. Yyou can take as many rides as you want. Its valid either for 1 person (Einzeltageskarte) or up to 5 people (Gruppentageskarte) The online time schedule is also in english.

I think buses are very easy to use. They have time schedules at the bus stops. HBF is the main train station in the town they are referring to. The ZOB is the main bus terminal. If you don't know what to pay the bus driver just say the stop where you want to go. You can also say the ultimate destination such as Stuttgart and he can give you a ticket all the way there and you don't have to hassle with the machine at the train stations. Email me if you have questions. If you have the time and just want to see where the bus goes and party somewhere just pick the last destination and get off where you want. The bus ticket is good for 2 hours from when you purchase it.

This website is in English and other languages. IT's easy to use. http://efa.vrr.de/vrr/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en

For example on what to type in. Name of the town first. If the town does not have a train station I use Rathaus as a starting off point since there is usually a bus stop near there. Then my destination is again a city/town so that goes in the first line in destination and then in the Stop/place I put Hbf for the main transportation hub. You can put in ZOB for main rail station also. Either one will get you in a central location.

Also an explanation of U Bahn and S Bahn and other transportation is explained on this link http://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/stadt.htm for getting around stuttgart.

Commuting in Germany and all of Europe for that matter is quite convenient. The trains, metros and buses are readely available. This allows you to go and enjoy the city without worry of having a cocktail or two. Or three... Or more...

The german Public Transportation system is quite easy to understand to the point where even the automated ticket counters have multiple language selection. Not to mention the route planner done in a very basic easy to understand fashion. From these route planners it is quite easy to figure out where you are and where you're going and what train, bus etc. to take. They are all well marked and as you can see in the picture posted, the BIg green "S" signifying S Bahn in German meaning "rail". So, just look for the %"S" or a sign for a big "U" sign for "underground" and you'll do fine! not to mention that anywhere you go, everybody speaks English.

Stuttgart has a good system of many tube lines and tram stations. The S-Bahn is also good for some outskirts of the city.

A day ticket costs around 8 € for two zones for an adult. A single ticket is around 2 €. There are ticket machines on each station and it depends on the destination what you are paying. There is a list of all destinations and a number which you type in...